1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to the delivery of electronic information over network communication systems, including real time information that may require a bandwidth greater than what is available.
2. Description of Related Art
Client computer systems often seek electronic information from information server computer systems over network communication systems, such as the internet.
The bandwidth which is available for the delivery of this electronic information to each client computer system may be limited. Further, the available bandwidth for each client computer system may be different. This can cause problems in connection with the delivery of certain kinds of electronic information, such as information which must be viewed in real time, such as streaming multimedia. Dropouts and other types of problems can arise.
Some websites attempt to deal with this problem by maintaining different versions of multimedia content, each configured for a particular bandwidth. Users are then be asked to select which version may be appropriate for their particular bandwidth.
This approach can be problematic. For example, requiring the user to provide bandwidth information each time the user visits a website can increase the complexity of the user's experience, slow down the process, and require space on a web page to be dedicated to the various bandwidth choices. Users may also consider it a nuisance to have to constantly be providing this information. Users may not even know what bandwidth their computer can handle, particularly when an application which seeks data is only of several which are communicating data simultaneously over the same network connection.